Ghislaine Maxwell protests 'uniquely onerous conditions' in jail as federal guards follow suicide watch protocol
Ghislaine Maxwell is reportedly being held under "uniquely onerous conditions" inside a New York federal jail, her lawyers have said, noting how she's subjected to 24x7 surveillance and several body scans in a day.
Maxwell is being held at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn since early July as she awaits trial on charges of recruiting and grooming girls as young as 14 for her billionaire pedophile pal Jeffrey Epstein to abuse.
Last summer, Epstein died in jail under mysterious circumstances while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges. According to Maxwell's lawyers, that has caused the Bureau of Prisons to subject her to more scrutiny as compared to other inmates.
“It has become apparent that the BOP’s treatment of Ms. Maxwell is a reaction to the circumstances surrounding the pretrial detention and death of Mr. Epstein,” the Monday night court filing said.
According to the filing, Maxwell is hoping to be moved from solitary confinement and placed into the prison's general population. Her lawyers noted in the filing how she is under surveillance 24 hours a day “by security cameras and by multiple prison guards, many of whom do not appear to be regular MDC personnel.”
“These prison guards constantly observe Ms. Maxwell and take notes on her every activity, including her phone conversations with defense counsel," attorney Christian Everdell wrote in the filing. "Until recently, Ms. Maxwell was subjected to suicide watch protocols, including being woken up every few hours during the night and being forced to wear special clothing, despite the fact that she, unlike Mr. Epstein, has never been suicidal and was never diagnosed as exhibiting risk factors for suicide. Her cell is searched multiple times a day and she has been forced to undergo numerous body scans."
“Ms. Maxwell does not seek special treatment at the MDC; but she does ask that she not be specially disfavored in her treatment in detention, especially when it comes to preparing her defense to conduct that allegedly took place over 25 years ago,” the filing added.
However, the Bureau of Prisons has declined to reveal details about the court filing.
"For privacy, safety, and security reasons, the Bureau of Prisons (BOP) does not release information on an individual inmate's conditions of confinement," a spokesman said.
The longtime Epstein confidante was arrested at a remote mansion in New Hampshire on July 2. According to prosecutors, she facilitated the hedge fund honcho's abuse of young girls in the mid-1990s and allegedly participated in some of the abuse herself. However, she has pleaded not guilty to said charges.
Maxwell's lawyers have reportedly also requested the judge to force the government to disclose the identities of three alleged victims referred to in the indictment, so that "Ms. Maxwell and defense counsel can meaningfully investigate the alleged conduct, which is now over 25 years old,” the filing says.
Furthermore, the filing also states that the alleged misconduct took place in multiple locations such as New York, Florida, New Mexico, and the U.K. and that Epstein had allegedly abused dozens, if not hundreds, of minor victims.
“The defense should not have to speculate which of these individuals are Victims 1-3 referenced in the indictment,” the filing adds.